Twenty vote centers open across the District today for anyone who wants to cast an in-person ballot or drop off an absentee ballot for the city’s June 2 primary.

The vote centers — all the locations are below, so scroll down — are serving both as a substitute to the usual early voting sites and Election Day precincts. So if you’re a day-of voter, don’t head to your usual precinct; it won’t be open for voting this time.

Of course, D.C. officials have strongly encouraged voters to request an absentee ballot (here’s how) for the primary, and you have until May 26 to do so. The reason is simple: in the era of a pandemic, voting in the comfort of your own home is the safest bet. But election officials say they are taking precautions to ensure voters can cast in-person ballots safely.

“We’ll put the machines obviously as far apart, if not farther apart than they usually are. We’re going to keep voters at least 6 feet apart, no more than 10 voters at a time, and the bare minimum staff necessary to run the vote center,” says Rachel Coll, a spokeswoman for the D.C. Board of Elections.

That could mean lines outside the vote centers, though elderly voters and residents with disabilities can use the curbside voting option.

Officials are also urging voters to come in at specific times that align with the first letter of their last name. Today, for one, voters with last names starting with A-L are asked to come from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and M-Z from 1:30 to 7 p.m. On Saturday, it reverses. See the full schedule here; scroll to page 12. Still, Coll says no voter will be turned away if they come at the “wrong” time.

And yes, a face mask or covering will be required to enter a vote center, though if you don’t have one election officials will have some on hand to give out. Coll also says the voting machines will be cleaned and sanitized between voters.

Vote centers will be open every day through June 2, save for Memorial Day. They open at 8:30 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. On Election Day itself, they open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. If you’re not registered to vote, fear not: D.C. offers same-day voter registration.

If you need more information, the Official Voter Guide is a handy resource. And if you need a quick primer on some of the local races on the ballot, we’ve got you covered.

Ward 1:
Columbia Heights Community Center, 1480 Girard St. NW
Prince Hall Center for the Performing Arts (Masonic Temple), 1000 U St. NW

Ward 2:
One Judiciary Square – Old City Council Chambers, 441 4th St. NW
Hardy Middle School, 1819 35th St. NW

Ward 3:
Murch Elementary School 4810 36th St. NW
Oyster Adams Bilingual School, 2801 Calvert St. NW

Ward 4:
Ida B. Wells Middle School, 405 Sheridan St. NW
Emery Heights Community Center, 5801 Georgia Ave. NW
Raymond Recreation Center, 3725 10th St. NW

Ward 5:
Turkey Thicket Recreation Center, 1100 Michigan Ave. NE
Mckinley Technology High School, 151 T St. NE

Ward 6:
King Greenleaf Recreation Center, 201 N St. SW
Sherwood Recreation Center, 640 10th St. NE
Kennedy Recreation Center, 1401 7th St. NW

Ward 7:
Deanwood Recreation Center, 1350 49th St. NE
Benning Stoddert Community Center, 100 Stoddert Pl. SE
Hillcrest Recreation Center, 3100 Denver St. SE

Ward 8:
Malcolm X Opportunity Center, 1351 Alabama Ave. SE
Barry Farm Recreation Center, 1230 Sumner Rd. SE
Anacostia High School, 1601 16th St. SE